Trump talks possible Xi meeting with China's top diplomat

Tuesday, February 28, 2017 - 01:11

U.S. President Donald Trump holds his first face-to-face talk with a member of the Chinese leadership, in what the White House says was a chance to discuss shared security interests and a possible meeting with President Xi Jinping. Samantha Vadas reports.

▲ Hide Transcript

▶ View Transcript

One step closer to the leaders of the world's two biggest economies coming face to face.
A potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jingping being discussed on Monday (February 27) during a visit by Beijing's top diplomat Yang Jiechi - the first Chinese official to set foot in the White House since Trump took office.
But only briefly. The conversation between Yang and Trump apparently lasting just five to seven minutes.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer calling it "an opportunity to say hi".
It was enough time though to talk about boosting diplomatic ties between Beijing and Washington.
Yang told Trump that China was willing to respect both sides' interests.
A stark contrast to the rocky relationship just months ago. Trump has attacked Beijing on issues from trade to the South China sea to North Korea.
The president talking to a number of world leaders before getting around to picking up the phone to Xi. A discussion seen to have put US-China relations back on familiar ground after Trump said he would honor the 'one China' policy - a massive coup for Beijing.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products: